Entertainment

Everything you need to know about 'The Great British Bake Off'

LONDON — It's that time of year again. Summer is drawing to a close and the scent of freshly baked cake is about to fill the air. That's right, folks, The Great British Bake Off is hitting televisions all over again, captivating the masses with its own brand of kitsch.

It's taken the Great British public by storm. But, not everyone is quite as familiar with the fun and frolics of the nation's favourite baking competition as we are, so we've compiled a step-by-step guide to help you through the maze of emotions and ingredients over the next three months.

Why should I watch it?

The Great British Bake Off does exactly what it says on the (cake) tin. 12 bakers, 11 episodes and over 250 bakes are spread sparingly (let's be honest, one episode per week is not enough) over a period of 77 days for your eager consumption.

Pitting amateur bakers against one another, The Great British Bake Off is a rollercoaster of sugary highs and heartbreaking lows that, put simply, cannot be missed. But you'll probably see it referred to as Bake Off, GBBO, Baking (e.g "I just can't believe you watched the Baking without me") and The single greatest programme to ever grace the BBC.

Who are the judges?

With over 100 years baking experience combined, Mary and Paul are the best in the business. They mean what they say and they say what they mean; you don't want to get on the wrong side of these two. The best way to stay in their good books? No soggy bottoms.

Image: BBC One

And the hosts?

Mel and Sue keep the Bake Off (dough) ball rolling every episode. Between puns and innuendos, Mel and Sue make sure there's never a dull moment in the GBBO tent.

Image: BBC One

How about the bakers?

Friends come and go but bakers stay for life. That's the saying, right? We don't know much about the new batch of bakers, bar what the BBC's handy profiles can offer, but we do know that you're sure to fall head over heals for at least a couple of these personalities.

Each episode is then broken down into three challenges that test different aspects of the contestants' baking skills. There's the Signature Bake, in which bakers produce one of their own tried-and-tested recipes that fits the remit given by Mary and Paul. For example, if the Signature Bake was Swiss roll, a coffee and walnut Swiss roll would be one of many variations accepted.

Second comes the Technical Bake, where contestants are all given an identical "basic" recipe and the ingredients needed to execute it with precision and technique. This, if you hadn't guessed, tests the bakers' technical knowledge.

The final hurdle is the créme de la créme of Bake Off challenges, the Showstopper, where bakers should be as creative and elaborate as possible whilst still maintaining excellent taste.

Image: BBC One

Will there be controversy?

Last year brought Series 5 of GBBO to our screens, which came with "Bingate". Poor, poor Iain Watters, Bake Off's token hipster, encountered a spot of trouble during Baked Alaska week when his ice cream - which was supposedly taken from the freezer by fellow contestant Diana - failed to solidify. In a fit of rage, Iain threw his non-baked Alaska in the bin and left the GBBO tent. And thus, "Bingate" was born.

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